Rapid Vienna vs Rapid

From the opening whistle, SK Rapid dictated the tempo. Captain for the day Jakob Schöller led a side featuring several first-team regulars alongside younger players, with Niklas Hedl in goal behind a back four of Eaden Roka, Schöller, Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao and Jonas Auer.

The Austrian side carved out the first meaningful chances inside the opening quarter-hour. Moulaye Haidara, fresh from a two-goal display against FAC in the previous friendly, was lively on the left flank and forced an early save. Nikolaus Wurmbrand, operating as a second striker alongside Ercan Kara, also tested the București goalkeeper from distance.

Rapid Vienna's best spell came midway through the first half. Yusuf Demir, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder, worked a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box after a neat exchange with Romeo Amane. His low drive was parried by the București keeper, and the rebound fell to a green-and-white shirt, but the follow-up effort was scrambled clear.

Amane himself came close from a corner shortly before half-time, his inswinger headed goalwards only for the Romanian defence to clear off the line. The visitors had offered little in attack to that point, with Hedl a spectator for most of the opening 45 minutes.

SK Rapid made four changes at the break: Amin-Elias Gröller replaced Schöller in central defence, Tare Ekereokosu came on for Wurmbrand, and Moritz Oswald entered for Nicolas Bajlicz. The pattern of play remained largely unchanged.

The Austrian side continued to push forward. Haidara cut inside from the left and curled an effort just wide of the far post. Kara, a key goalscorer last season, had a header from an Oswald cross well saved.

Coach Johannes Hoff Thorup introduced further fresh legs as the half wore on — Ensar Mušić replaced Romeo Amane, and later Daris Djezić and David Polke entered for Yusuf Demir and Kara respectively. Still the goal would not come.

Rapid București's only genuine opportunity arrived in the closing stages, a rare counter-attack that forced Hedl into his first meaningful involvement. The Vienna goalkeeper, largely untroubled until that point, watched the shot fly harmlessly wide.

The final whistle confirmed a 0-0 draw — the second stalemate of the afternoon for Thorup's side, following a dramatic 2-2 against FK Pardubice in which 17-year-old David Polke had equalised in the 90th minute.

While SK Rapid were not at their most clinical, the primary reason for the goalless scoreline was the performance of the Rapid București goalkeeper. Multiple sources from the match — including the official SK Rapid match report and LAOLA1 — singled him out as the decisive figure.

He denied Yusuf Demir with a strong low save and the subsequent follow-up, commanded his box well from Amane's dangerous deliveries, and was quick off his line to snuff through balls aimed at Haidara and Kara. On the one occasion he was beaten — when Kara's header looked destined for the net — a defender was on the line to complete the clearance.

At the other end, Niklas Hedl had what the SK Rapid website described as "a very quiet Sunday in Perg," underscoring the one-sided nature of the attacking exchanges.

Moulaye Haidara (SK Rapid Wien) — The 19-year-old Malian was the liveliest attacker on the pitch. Having scored twice against FAC six days earlier, he carried that form into this fixture with direct running and a willingness to shoot from distance. His ability to cut in from the left caused the București defence consistent problems.

Yusuf Demir (SK Rapid Wien) — The former Barcelona and Fenerbahçe youngster showed flashes of creativity in central areas. He had the game's best chance in the first half and linked well with Amane and Haidara in the attacking third.

Rapid București Goalkeeper — The standout performer of the match. Multiple saves kept his side level, and his handling under pressure from set pieces was faultless. Without him, this fixture likely ends in an SK Rapid victory.

The match stats are not officially published for this friendly, but the qualitative evidence is one-sided. SK Rapid held the majority of possession and generated more shots, more corners, and more entries into the final third. According to every match report consulted (SK Rapid, LAOLA1, Krone), the Austrian side enjoyed a "clear advantage" and a "big chance plus" that went unconverted.

The contrast with the first game of the day — a 2-2 against FK Pardubice where both defences were breached multiple times — highlights the specific challenge that Rapid București's organisation and goalkeeping posed.

The 0-0 was the second of two friendlies on the same day for SK Rapid, who travelled from Vienna to Perg en route to their one-week training camp in Freistadt, Upper Austria. The first game, against Czech First League side FK Pardubice, was a more open affair ending 2-2.

Three observations for the season ahead:

1. Depth is being tested. Thorup used 30+ players across the two matches, with wholesale changes between games and multiple in-game rotations. Players returning from international duty (Bajlicz, Bolla, Gröller, Schöller, Wurmbrand) are being reintegrated, while others (Horn, Mbuyi, Marcelin, Radulović) are working back from injury.

2. The attack is a work in progress. New signing Tonni Adamsen made his debut in the Pardubice game and registered an assist (a cross deflected in for an own goal), but was rested for the București fixture. Ercan Kara and Nikolaus Wurmbrand started here but could not break through. The creativity of Yusuf Demir and Moulaye Haidara is encouraging, but the finishing edge needs sharpening before competitive fixtures begin.

3. Defensive solidity is emerging. After shipping an early goal against Pardubice (3rd minute) and conceding twice overall, the clean sheet against București — albeit against a side that created little — is a small positive. The centre-back pairings will need to gel quickly before the Conference League qualifiers.

For SK Rapid, this was the second of four scheduled friendlies before competitive football resumes. Their remaining pre-season programme:

• 12 July: vs FC Hertha Wels (Austrian 2. Liga) — Huber Arena, Wels, 15:00
• 15 July: vs Panathinaikos (Greek Super League) — Allianz Stadion, Vienna, 18:00
• 18 July: vs Hamburger SV (German 2. Bundesliga) — Allianz Stadion, Vienna, 19:00

The competitive season kicks off with the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round on 23/29 July, followed by the ÖFB Cup first round on 26 July and the Austrian Bundesliga opener against SCR Altach on 2 August.

For Rapid București, this friendly was part of their own pre-season preparations for the 2026-27 Liga I campaign in Romania. Holding an Austrian Bundesliga side to a goalless draw — one that dominated possession and chances — represents a creditable defensive performance.

A scoreless draw between two clubs who share a name but little else in common this pre-season. SK Rapid Wien were the superior side by a clear margin but lacked the cutting edge to turn dominance into goals. The Rapid București goalkeeper earned his side a deserved share of the spoils with an excellent individual display. For Thorup's men, it was a useful workout that highlighted both the creative potential in midfield and the need for sharper finishing — a familiar pre-season equation that must be solved before the Conference League qualifiers arrive in three weeks' time.

SK Rapid Wien: Hedl; Roka, Schöller (c) (46. Gröller), Raux-Yao, Auer; Y. Demir (83. Djezić), Amane (72. Mušić), Bajlicz (62. Oswald), Wurmbrand (46. Ekereokosu); Kara (83. Jozepovic), Haidara (83. Polke)

Unused substitutes: Orgler, Göschl, Stehrer

FC Rapid 1923 București (starting XI): Not available at time of writing

Goals: None

Attendance: 1,300